WELCOME to the land of the free.

Sarah Borwell has an invitation to Britain's junior tennis players that can bluntly be summarised by the injunction: "Go West, young man and young woman."

The English doubles player, who reached the semi-finals of a tournament in Edinburgh last week with Scottish rising hopeful Emma Devine, has a mission to guide young players to a land where education is free, training is top-class and the coaches are always available.

Borwell, a graduate of the American college system, now has a company that advises junior players on the opportunities in the USA. The doubles specialist, 32, found her experience at the University of Houston so encouraging that she believes a spell in the USA education system can be beneficial for most young players.

"I was a good junior, not world class and I knew that," said Borwell, who has earned $250,000 prize money in her career. "If I had gone pro at 18 I would have probably quit at 22 because it was so difficult on tour. Instead, I went to university, developed in my own time, had a great support system and it was free. I ended up achieving on the tour because I got the developmental pathway right."

About five years ago, Borwell noticed a disillusionment among junior players. From that impression, Tennis Smart has grown into a company that has placed over 150 British players in American colleges. "It started out as a placement firm but a lot of players are now monitored by me," she says. "We have a travel team and there are other support structures."

Borwell now gives presentations around the country to parents worried about how to progress the playing careers of their children. The drop-out rate of juniors soars above 50% and Borwell believes the USA option can keep players interested in the sport while offering them an excellent, free education.

"Parents are not aware of how expensive the pro tour is and what is on offer in America," she said. "I am talking to parents with children as young as 10-years-old and saying: 'Listen, if you keep your child playing now it might cost money but you will get the pay-off when they can go to university for free for four years'."

This has a particular appeal in England where tuition fees apply. Borwell says: "I left Houston with a business degree and with no debts. My sister went to an English university and is £20,000 in debt.

"In America you have two coaches, a fitness trainer, a nutritionist, academic advisers. You are pretty much a professional athlete at a university. It is an incredible learning experience, an incredible chance to mature as a person and as a player."

Borwell's role at Tennis Smart is to offer advice across the spectrum. She informs the prospective students of the precise entrance qualifications and what colleges offer the best opportunities. "There are 350 universities in America that have openings for women," says Borwell. "So there is a lot of choice but I have placed more than 150 players so far and now we are advising recruits for 2013."

Borwell, who already has 10 prospective students for 2014, gave a talk at Merchiston Castle school, Edinburgh, last week and has eight potential recruits from that presentation. "I look at the players in both educational and sporting terms. I make sure they are on the right track and help with them with their registration. I then construct a cv and a video. I will send that to our contacts in America. Once the players hear back, I will tell them the pros and cons for each university."

Borwell, who admits she now operates as an agony aunt for players, has slowly built up the scale of her operation. "I offer a package now," she explains. "I monitor players, help with their transition to the tour. I make sure that if they want to go professional they have the best grounding and advice."

Young Scots have already taken the path to America. Morven McCulloch, from St Andrews, is 'doing very well' and Andy Quirk, the 18-year-old from Lenzie, is starring at Wisconsin. Devine, Borwell's partner last week, is heading to Oklahoma.

They are the advance guard of what Borwell hopes will be an invasion force that can eventually storm the professional ranks. "The opportunity is there," says Borwell, whose first trip on a plane was to Houston to start out at university. "I came through at a club in Middlesbrough that was not particularly rich but I have managed to have a pro career and have graduated with a degree."

It is a rewarding adult life that had its turning point in a trip to Texas. Borwell now offers the chance for other careers to be born in the USA.

* Further information can be obtained at www.tennissmart.net or info@tennissmart.net.